Systems and methods for augmented reality for disaster simulation

Abstract

An augmented reality (AR) system for generating and displaying a pre-disaster Enhanced Situation Visualization (ESV) is provided. The AR system may include an ESV computing device, a user computing device operated by a user and a reference database. The user computing device may transmit a reference request message to the ESV device, the reference request message including an image and/or GPS location of a property. The ESV computing device may determine the subject of the image is the property, retrieve reference information including peril maps associated with the property from the reference database, and determine situation information specific to the subject. The reference and situation information including a loss estimate may be displayed on the user computing device to provide an ESV of the property. The ESV may be used for insurance-related activities, such as handling, adjusting, and/or generating an insurance policy, premium, and/or discount, and/or generating insurance-related recommendations.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An Enhanced Situation Visualization (ESV) computing device comprising a memory and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
 determine potential damage to a property due to an occurrence of an event;   generate a reference response message including the determined potential damage to the property; and   cause to be displayed on a user computing device the potential damage to the property overlaid upon a current view of the property as viewed through the user computing device.   
     
     
         2 . The ESV computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the event includes a potential future event or a hypothetical event. 
     
     
         3 . The ESV computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the event includes a natural event or a mechanical failure event. 
     
     
         4 . The ESV computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 retrieve, from a reference database, reference information that includes a peril map indicating a risk level associated with the event; and   determine the potential damage based upon the peril map.   
     
     
         5 . The ESV computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause to be displayed, using the reference response message on the user computing device, at least one effect at the property due to the event, the at least one effect overlaid upon the current view of the property as viewed through the user computing device. 
     
     
         6 . The ESV computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive a reference request message from the user computing device, the reference request message including (i) an image representative of the current view of the property as viewed through the user computing device and (ii) at least one user-input variable associated with a characteristic of the event. 
     
     
         7 . The ESV computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit the reference response message to the user computing device. 
     
     
         8 . A computer-implemented method using an Enhanced Situation Visualization (ESV) computing device including a memory and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory, the method comprising:
 determining potential damage to a property due to an occurrence of an event;   generating a reference response message including the determined potential damage to the property; and   causing to be displayed on a user computing device the potential damage to the property overlaid upon a current view of the property as viewed through the user computing device.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the event includes a potential future event or a hypothetical event. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the event includes a natural event or a mechanical failure event. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
 retrieving, from a reference database, reference information that includes a peril map indicating a risk level associated with the event; and   determining the potential damage based upon the peril map.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises causing to be displayed, using the reference response message on the user computing device, at least one effect at the property due to the event, the at least one effect overlaid upon the current view of the property as viewed through the user computing device. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises receiving a reference request message from the user computing device, the reference request message including (i) an image representative of the current view of the property as viewed through the user computing device and (ii) at least one user-input variable associated with a characteristic of the event. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises transmitting the reference response message to the user computing device. 
     
     
         15 . At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the at least one processor to:
 determine potential damage to a property due to an occurrence of an event;   generate a reference response message including the determined potential damage to the property; and   cause to be displayed on a user computing device the potential damage to the property overlaid upon a current view of the property as viewed through the user computing device.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the event includes a potential future event or a hypothetical event. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the event includes a natural event or a mechanical failure event. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
 retrieve, from a reference database, reference information that includes a peril map indicating a risk level associated with the event; and   determine the potential damage based upon the peril map.   
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to cause to be displayed, using the reference response message on the user computing device, at least one effect at the property due to the event, the at least one effect overlaid upon the current view of the property as viewed through the user computing device. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to receive a reference request message from the user computing device, the reference request message including (i) an image representative of the current view of the property as viewed through the user computing device and (ii) at least one user-input variable associated with a characteristic of the event.